Man who starved dog to the point of death sentenced

A man who starved his dog
to the point where it had to be euthanised to end its
suffering was sentenced today in the Manukau District
Court.

Tainui Oti pleaded guilty to wilfully ill-treating
an animal with the result that the pain or distress caused
to the animal is so great that it is necessary to destroy
the animal in order to end its suffering. He was sentenced
to five months community detention, 300 hours of community supervision, disqualified from owning animals for
10 years, and ordered to pay reparations of $573.81.

The
case began on Monday 8 July 2013 when an SPCA Inspector
visited an Otara property in response to a call received
from the defendant who wanted to surrender his sick dog. The
Defendant stated the dog had “had it”.

The Inspector
found a brindle, female, crossbreed dog lying on the ground
and barely alive. The dog was emaciated, cold to the touch,
and so weak she could not lift her head. She had grey marks
around her neck from being chained for long periods.

The
Defendant hid inside the house, refused to come out, and
dealt with the Inspector via his 14-year-old son. The boy
confirmed the dog had been tied up until the day before the
Inspector arrived and that they hadn’t been feeding the
dog enough food.

The dog was immediately uplifted and
taken to SPCA Auckland for urgent veterinary treatment. Upon
examination, the Veterinarian found the dog was emaciated
and severely dehydrated. Her gums were pale and her body
temperature was too low to register on a rectal
thermometer.

The Veterinarian stated that the dog had
undergone chronic suffering and distress as a result of
being starved over a protracted period of time. The
Veterinarian concluded that she was past the point of
recovery and she was euthanised on humane grounds to end her
suffering.

Necropsy results confirmed the dog was
emaciated with generalised muscle atrophy and accentuated
bony prominence. No fat reserves were found. The Pathologist
confirmed that the dog must have undergone weeks or months
of under-nourishment and starvation, which would have caused
marked and prolonged distress and suffering.

The
Veterinarian and Pathologist both concluded that the
emaciated condition of the dog and the need for urgent
veterinary treatment would have been obvious to any lay
person.

On Wednesday 10 July 2013 Oti admitted under
caution that he was the owner of the dog, that she had been
in his care for approximately two months, and she had been
in good body condition when she arrived. He had put the
responsibility of the dog in the care of his 14-year-old son
and they had fed her food scraps once a week.

“It is beyond comprehension
how someone could idly stand by and allow this dog to suffer
weeks of slow starvation while chained up in their backyard
– but that is precisely what has happened here.

“When
you take on responsibility for an animal you are required
under law to look after that animal and meet its physical
and emotional needs. You are their guardian under the law.
And if you fail in these duties you will be
prosecuted.”

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